Today, about 95% of Americans celebrate Christmas. Out of this, about 88% put up a Christmas tree in their home.
If you’re feeling festive, you’ll want to make your home stand out this holiday season with Christmas lights. But before you’re ready to join the Christmas light fight, it’s essential to know how to hang your Christmas lights. Read this guide on how to hang your Christmas lights without damaging your roof today.
Avoid Staples and Nails
It’s a good idea to take a picture of your home from the curb before you begin. This will help you see your design plan from your neighbors’ perspective. While nails and staples are secure, you might nail or staple them into your shingles. Any holes could lead to serious damage.
Holes can lead to moisture and water that enters your home. Water damage can impact the structure of your home. Rot or mold could also be another factor. Staples could also damage wires. Damaged wiring is a fire hazard and could cause electrocution.
You don’t want to use more than three standard-length strings of light per one extension cord. Avoid lights from being tripping hazards, and keep them away from water and snow. Instead, go with plastic clips. Some options include clay tile, all-in-one, and eave clips.
Clips for the ridge of the roof are another option. All-in-one clips are great for hanging lights on gutters or shingles. It’s best to avoid hanging lights from your shingles, though.
Since shingles are lightweight, they could be damaged by lights. The eaves and gutters are the best options. Clay tile roof clips will minimize damage to your clay roof. Eave clips will hang from the eaves of your home.
Hanging Lights Safely
Check your Christmas lights to see whether they’d be best on shingles or gutters. Icicle-style Christmas lights work well on gutters. Once you decide where they’ll hang, you can choose the kind that’ll look best.
Check the Outdoor Lights
LED Christmas lights can save you between 80-95% energy. Before hanging lights, check for safety testing on the packaging.
Ensure that all the lights are working before you hang them up. Look for lights that state they’re for outdoor use.
Measure First
Before you buy lights, measure your gutters or shingles. This includes all locations where you’ll place the lights. You’ll also want to measure the distance to your nearest grounded outlet. Once you decide on this, make a diagram you can reference later.
It’ll help you determine the material and tools necessary. Once the holidays are over, be careful taking the lights down to prevent damage.
Understanding How To Hang Your Christmas Lights
After exploring this guide, you should understand how to hang your Christmas lights effectively. Whether or not you’ve damaged your roof this holiday season, your roof might need a little extra TLC.